Cotuit reigns supreme

What a difference a few weeks can make. At the start of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s 2012 season, the Cotuit Kettleers seemed firmly planted in the basement of the Western Division.

Kathleen Szmit

NOT THAT WAY! – Cotuit’s Aramis Garcia (12) grimaces as he watches his ball soar into a pop fly during game play at Lowell Park July 21.

Kettleers have firm grasp on first place

What a difference a few weeks can make. At the start of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s 2012 season, the Cotuit Kettleers seemed firmly planted in the basement of the Western Division.

Fast-forward a few weeks and the Kettleers have ironed out their kinks, found their flow, and now sit solidly atop the West with a 20-12 overall record and 40 points, 10 points more than the second-place Wareham Gatemen, a rather nice spot to be in as the playoffs near.

Even with an evening of inclement weather putting a spin on this week’s games, the Kettleers hit into two big wins, defeating the East’s first-place Harwich Mariners 6-1, the Y-D Red Sox 8-4 and the Falmouth Commodores 9-3.

Cotuit’s July 22 game found them at Whitehouse Field in Harwich where a huge ninth inning led the Kettleers to victory.

The Kettleers put two runs across in the second to give Cotuit a 2-1 lead, the first coming on a single to left from Patrick Biondi that brought in James Roberts, with Biondi scoring on a single to left from Tony Kemp.

From there, both teams found plating runs a challenge, though Cotuit managed 11 hits to Harwich’s three.

Mike Ford led off the ninth inning with a walk, reaching third on an error before Roberts struck out swinging.

After Ford came home on a wild pitch, Derek Smith reached on a single, with Galli Cribbs stepping in to pinch run. The substitution proved fruitful for Cotuit as Cribbs came around for the Kettleers’ fourth run on a wild pitch.

Errors then paved the way for Cotuit to ratchet up its score, with Patrick Biondi and Tony Kemp coming in on back-to-back Mariner flubs.

The following night (July 23) the Kettleers hopped the bus to South Yarmouth to take on the Red Sox, with Cael Brockmeyer sparking Cotuit’s scoring with his fourth home run of the season that also brought in Daniel Aldrich.

Adam Nelubowich made it 3-2 Cotuit when he scored on a passed ball.

In the fourth, Tim Kiene led off with a homer to put Cotuit ahead 4-2, followed by another homer from Tony Kemp that also brought around Patrick Biondi.

Biondi scored Cotuit’s seventh run in the sixth on a single from Aldrich, before scoring again in the eighth on an error.

After thunderstorms swept across the Cape on Tuesday (July 24), forcing a reschedule of Cotuit’s game against Brewster, the Kettleers were back in action July 25 against Falmouth at the Arnie Allen Diamond.

The Kettleers recorded 15 hits in the outing, with Adam Nelubowich getting things started with a home run.

Falmouth responded in the bottom of the first with a run of its own, but the Kettleers had their sights set on winning, with Aldrich hitting another homer in the second.

It was the Kettleers’ five-run sixth, however, the clinched the win, with Kiene bringing in Ford for Cotuit’s third run of the game.

A single to right from Aldrich brought in Biondi, with Kemp scoring on a single to left from Garcia before Kiene and Aldrich came in on a fielder’s choice from Nelubowich.

Nelubowich capped off the scoring for Cotuit in the eighth with a double to bring in Kiene and Aldrich again, sealing the 9-3 romp.

Cotuit next faces Hyannis at McKeon Park July 27 (7 p.m.) before Saturday’s All-Star Game in Harwich.

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